Huge change to mobile and broadband rules so customers can get £100s in compensation sooner
SHAKE UP Huge change to mobile and broadband rules so customers can get £100s in compensation sooner
A HUGE change to mobile and broadband rules means customers can get £100s in compensation sooner.
Anyone who complains to their provider and does not get the response they want can take their claim further to the ombudsman.
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New rules mean customers can get their complaints handled quicker
Credit: Alamy
Currently, providers have up to eight weeks to respond.
But under new rules laid out by Ofcom, this will now be reduced to six weeks.
This means frustrated customers can get compensation quicker.
Ofcom has been consulting on the change and made its final decision this week.
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But customers will have to wait until April 2026 before the changes officially come into place.
Rocio Concha, Which? director of policy and advocacy, described the move as "positive".
She said: "Recent Which? research found that eight in ten suffered a connection issue with their broadband provider in the year to January 2025.
"So unfortunately, telecoms issues are far from uncommon and customers rightly expect that any problems will be resolved quickly and efficiently."
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She added: "Any providers who are falling short urgently need to up their game to ensure their customers are getting the service they rightly expect and that problems are resolved as quickly as possible."
It is worth noting that when you take an issue to the ombudsman there's no guarantee of compensation, but it's one of the ways it can tell the supplier to offer redress.
CHECK YOUR SPEED: Broadband
If you wish to complain to your broadband provider look for the customer service number on the company website.
Ask to speak to the relevant team member and make sure you have important documents such as bills and bank statements to hand.
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Under current rules, if your supplier does not resolve the issues after eight weeks, you can take your case to one of two Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) schemes.
Customers can escalate issues to either the Communications Ombudsman (CO) or the Communications and Internet Services Adjudication Scheme (CISAS).
If your provider cannot solve your compliant, it will issue a deadlock letter which it means it does not think it can resolve the problem.
You can find out what scheme your provider is part of by using the ADR checker on the Ofcom website.
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If you receive one of these letter it means you have 12months to contact the ombudsman.
Resolving an issue through the ombudsman can lead to a simple apology, or you get compensation.
If you are not happy with how it has resolved your complaint you can switch providers.
HOW TO CUT BROADBAND COSTS
If you're not happy with what your broadband firm is offering you, shop around for a new deal and switch providers.
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You can use price comparison websites like Uswitch to find the best deals based on your circumstances.
You can also use a deal found on a price comparison site to haggle your existing provider down to a lower price.
And if you are a pensioners or on government benefits like Universal Credit you should check if you can slash your broadband and mobile bills by hundreds of pounds a year.
Social tariffs are offered to those on government benefits like Universal Credit, and they can save you hundreds of pounds a year compared to standard deals.
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They often come with no exit fees - but you should always check the terms and conditions carefully.
Ofcom has a list on its website of all the firms offering social broadband and mobile phone tariffs here:www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/saving-money/social-tariffs.
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